


Of Will and Heart

by ororosmunroe



Category: DCU (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Dick Grayson is a Talon, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:00:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29574273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ororosmunroe/pseuds/ororosmunroe
Summary: A seabirb prompt I did years ago and decided to finally clean up.A Talon!Dick AU.
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Kaldur'ahm
Kudos: 11





	Of Will and Heart

**Author's Note:**

> The Prompt: Imagine Talon!Dick in a very fanservice-y costume and constantly trying to seduce Kaldur over to the dark side, he probably is conveniently practicing his aerial silk routine or something one time. Talon!Dick is just chipping away at Kaldur'ahm's resolve over months and lots of thwarting and fighting. People keep warning Kaldur that Talon is a twisted, irredeemable criminal who doesn't care who he hurts but he can't stop thinking about him  
> _______
> 
> Few things:  
> Dick never became Robin. Never met Bruce.  
> Was trained to be an assassin since he was a child when his great grandfather swooped in after his parent's untimely yet totally planned deaths. He's now what would be in his Nightwing stage.  
> 

Attention to detail...Finding the target's weakness...and knowing the exact moment when to strike.

All of these things and more had been drilled into the young Talon's head the moment the Court of Owls took him in. And with their _attentive_ guidance over the years, he became the Ultimate Talon. A perfect weapon, a centerpiece in the golden menagerie that was the Talon Guild. Talon was perfect, Dick Grayson however was a thorn in the side of the Court. Through the many years of training and missions, the one thing that separated him from the rest of the talons was his sense of self. No matter how they tried to stamp it out of him, his playful mischievousness always shown through.

The Court wanted a weapon to help them complete their aims. Talon wanted a relentless subordinate who would bring greater honor to the guild. 

And for a while, they got both. However, Dick could never truly forget that he had a life before Talon. 

It was the ever Achilles heel and shame of the Talon group. They had done their best to beat it out of him over the but were never quite successful. 

Because what benefit could possibly be gained from having any sort of individuality in the ranks? 

His personality, despite being warped as it was, had a human element to it that the other Talons could replicate. It allowed for Dick to complete his missions with a flair and timeliness that his superiors should've acknowledged on some level.

But you know, overinflated egos, infinite wisdom, and whatnot. 

In the end, they created a weapon with the purpose of using him for their own purposes…not realizing that their “weapon” would turn against them if the mere whim were to have struck him. What's more, the Talons and the Court also failed to realize again in all of their combined infinite wisdom was just how much they imprinted three very basic but primal notions into him. Those being: 

Want. Take. Have.

They did not know that all three notions were all currently centered around one person. Atlantean Ambassador, Justice Leaguer and Young Justice Division Head, Kaldur'ahm of Shyiera. 

At first, it was all because he wanted a little fun. You know, to break up the monotony of killing assigned targets because _yes_ it did get boring after a while _._ But then… after a period of time...somehow someway... he fucked up and got infatuated with the guy. Complete amateur hour.

Infatuations…attachments, in general, were dangerous things to have in his line of work. He knew that. If the other Talons knew…If the Court so much as suspected…It would be all over. 

For both of them.

So after giving much thought to his options there was no way that he could live in the light now. So, the only other option was to bring his undersea fixation into the shadows with him. 

So he did his research like any good assassin and uncovered some very interesting tidbits. The League wasn’t as squeaky clean as they would like the public to believe. And what was more interesting was that not all of the League knew it. Oh yes, there were moles hidden in plain sight, an occupational hazard if there was ever one. 

Now, the impending schism was of no concern to him _but_ it would still be a sight to see, an absentminded thought he had while diving through files. 

Dick had originally thought to reveal the news himself but thought better of it. Why be the bearer of bad news when those who were actually closer to the hero could do it. Kaldur'ahm deserved to know the truth.

But the straight edge wouldn’t trust it coming from him. Which, he begrudgingly admitted, was fair given the fact that assassins weren’t exactly known for being honest. So Dick merely put the necessary pieces into place thus prompting the hero to confront his superiors. They could either lie or confirm. In the end, Kaldur would have to choose his own path from that point. Dick could only watch as the chips fall where they may. 

Of course, there were other bits of information he found. Things that would definitely have Kaldur questioning his standing with the League and inadvertently bring the hero one step closer to him but he refrained. 

Kaldur had to choose. Dick wanted... _needed_ him to choose. Nudging was one thing, coaxing was another but manipulating Kaldur'ahm would only lead to the destruction of his entire plan.

Dick entered his private dwelling sweaty from his aerobatic exercises, he pressed a small button on the side of his goggles and activated the lights. A small robot came hovering towards him. 

“R03IN, you’ve gotten the place all fixed up, right? We have a special guest coming tonight remember?” 

The little bot, one he made himself in his downtime, made a mechanical whirring sound of assent. 

Dick had left a message for Kaldur and judging by the time he would get it soon. It would give him enough time to set the right atmosphere for the meeting.

* * *

Kaldur'ahm stood stiffly as the badly lit elevator went down level after level. This was a bad idea. No, a terrible, _terrible_ idea. He was alone, with no backup available and what’s more no one knew where he was. Completely unlike him. However, it seemed he was doing a lot of things that were uncharacteristic of him as of late. 

Seriously, this meeting was probably a trap. Yet he came anyway.

Why? 

That…was a very good question. One he didn’t have a clear answer to. 

After the initial run-in with his Talon Kaldur did his best to research The Court Owls and Talon but all it led to were dead ends and more questions than answers. 

Night after night he would dream that he was in a pitch-black space. He couldn’t see anything around him. Until a small golden light appears before him. It quickly takes the form of a bird. It playfully flies around him but whenever he tried to grasp it would fly away. The farther it got away from him the more he felt the need to need to follow it. 

What was most frustrating was that every time he would come to catch the golden bird it would just disappear into thin air. Like it had never been there, to begin with.

Kaldur'ahm continued going down in the elevator. Its pathway seemed endless. 

Of course, he tried to figure out his dream. There were obvious connections to his real-life situation. A golden bird with striking cerulean eyes. His mind instantly went to the gold detailing of the Talon’s uniform. 

He shouldn’t be here. This was a mistake, clearly.

But it was too late to think about now because the elevator finally came to its stop. The doors shifted open and Kaldur'ahm took a step forward. Cautiously he took more steps. The surrounding area was dark. 

_Just like in my dream._ Kaldur's hands began to itch, ready to grab hold of his water-bearers. What was the Talon planning? Before he knew what was happening he felt an incredible force hit him straight in the chest throwing him back against something hard. 

A chair?

A mechanical noise could be heard and Kaldur'ahm found his hands completely covered and locked away. They were held down at his sides. His ankles were bound against the two front legs of the chair. He was completely subdued. 

_Definitely a trap_ , Kaldur thought somewhat annoyed with himself. 

Ceiling lights began to flicker on. Kaldur's eyes narrowed. The reason why he had come here was because of a note that had received a note. And considering the turbulent events of his life at the moment he figured that he didn’t have much to lose. 

The sound of bare feet padding towards him put him on alert. Whatever the assassin wanted, he wouldn’t get it from him. He had been trained to withstand any torture.

“Whatever it is you want Talon you will not get it. Having me here will not benefit you in the slightest.” 

“ Oh, I would beg to differ little guppy.” A voice cut through the air. The voice was playful. “ I’m very confident I’ll get everything I want tonight.”

Arms slide across Kaldur's chest and encircle his neck. The hero feels body heat come from the back of him. He does not react. If the past months have taught him anything Dick loved it when he reacted. 

“ Now…I distinctly remember saying in my note to arrive at 7:00 pm and you’re very early. Very rude Guppy.” Dick’s breath flowed across the tip of Kaldur's ear, causing it to twitch. 

Kaldur's voice remained calm, “ What is it that you want Talon?”

“Hey hey, what’s with the cold shoulder?” Dick’s saccharine pout caused one of Kaldur’s eyebrows to twitch in annoyance. He wasn’t up for Dick’s games tonight.

”Last I checked I wasn’t the one who wronged you.” Dick coyly reminded. That seemed to tick the Atlantean off.

“ If there is nothing of importance you need to discuss then I would appreciate you letting me out of this foul contraption-”

“ But then you’d leave and why would I want that?” Dick slowly unattached himself. And walked around to Kaldur's front. The sight that met Kaldur’s eye was certainly eye-catching. 

Dick was bare-chested and glistening, muscles on full display. Though the villain’s stature was short his body reminded him of the statues found in the capital of Atlantis. he was still wearing the bottom of his Talon suit but even that didn’t leave much to the imagination. The dark translucent mesh helped give the already well-toned and voluptuous ass a very cheeky cutout. Though what seemed most hidden was the Talon’s face.

A pair of ornate gold, high-tech goggles resembling the beak of a barn owl protected the assassin’s identity. They were bird-like, every inch befitting the mark of the Talon group. Shiny, inky onyx hair dripped all around the goggles. 

If Kaldur'ahm had been less controlled, he was sure that his facial expression would betray him. 

“ No. You are going to sit there and wait. I’m going to take a shower like I had originally planned and _then_ we can talk.” Dick smiled and slowly turned away. He wanted to make sure that Kaldur saw every angle of him. Months of planning and strategy had been put into tonight and Dick was about to cash out. 

He was hyper-aware that Kaldur had his eyes on him and it sent a thrill up and down his spine. He glanced back and saw Kaldur staring. 

“ See something you like, hero?” Dick couldn’t help but tease. He giggled to himself when Kaldur quickly averted his eyes. _Cute~_

The shower was made of fogged-out glass, He took off his goggles and hung them on a hook next to the shower door. Next with both hands, he thumbed the top of his pants and shimmied out of lycra material. He made a little show of it, pull the material down as if to let his ass fall out and overtake the hemline of the bottoms. He let the rolled-up fabric of the pants help pedestal his ass as he gathered his washcloth and soap.

When he finally got into the shower the water was at the temperature he wanted it to be. He moaned in delight. 

Meanwhile, Kaldur'ahm silently stewed in his seat. Try as he might he couldn’t get out of his bindings. Whatever the assassin made the damned contraptions out of would not yield to his strength so he was forced to stay put for the moment. 

Letting a sigh, he looked around at his surroundings. It was a lair no doubt. Minimalist, and devoid of any color. In front of him on the far right, a series of screens and two computer towers. A long desk. The wall had pictures of some sort. He couldn’t see from where he was seated. On the far left was…a shower stall set up. 

He can see the silhouette of the Talon despite the steam. He could see him wash his arms. His head and neck and…his legs. 

Spread...apart... _oh_. 

Kaldur'ahm quickly turned his head away, equally embarrassed and annoyed. He could feel the burn in his cheeks burst and simmer down. 

He wasn’t a pervert nor a voyeur! He was raised to be better than that. Still, the stirring in his loins didn’t stop. Kaldur'ahm took a deep breath and slowly let the air from his lungs leave him. He should be used to this by now. Months of this feeling of annoyance and frustration.

He wasn’t a pervert nor a voyeur! He was raised to be better than that. Still, the stirring in his loins didn’t stop. Kaldur'ahm took a deep breath and slowly let the air from his lungs leave him. He should be used to this by now. Months of this feeling of annoyance and frustration. 

Kaldur'ahm didn’t know what game the Talon was playing this time but ended tonight. He was tired of this unending emotional rollercoaster. Ever since they had first crossed paths he and the Talon had been strangely cordial. They had slowly developed a rhythm that confused him greatly. So much so that he had gotten the absurd idea that Dick…. _liked_ him. And that singular insane thought had caused nothing but trouble and confusion for him months on end. Despite his better judgment and all the warnings of teammates, he couldn’t get the tempter out of his mind. 

So many fights they had together. So many chances to take the other down but didn’t. He couldn’t trust him. But then again there were a lot of people he couldn’t trust as of late. His mentor, the League, his own parents…

He felt so lost. 

What was the truth?!

* * *

The water from the shower suddenly stops and it quickly brings Kaldur'ahm back to reality. Dick grabs the clothes towel and dries himself off in the shower and then reaches over for something. Kaldur'ahm can’t tell what it is but he is on guard none-the-less. After a moment more Dick finally reaches for his goggles. He finally steps out with them and walks back to his captive audience. 

Dick chose his favorite most ostentatious pair of neon blue workout shorts. They hugged him just right and his ass devoured them. Oh yes, he thought with glee in his eyes and mischief in his heart, he definitely planned to get what he wanted tonight. 

He combed his hand through still dripping hair and smirked, “ There now, I’m all squeaky clean. Shall we begin?” 

“ I will only ask you this once more Talon: What is your aim?” Instead of answering Dick straddled Kaldur’s lap. He ran his hands down Kaldur’s shoulders and looked at braces that kept his hands from moving. His touch was barely there, like a breeze of fresh air. 

Dick immediately became entranced, just fully realizing that he had the hero all to himself for the time being. The adrenaline in his veins slowly began to rise. The giddiness that been simmering for so long was starting to boil.

“ I had to draw up a whole new trap schematic…just for you. You broke through my other ones easier than I would’ve liked…it was so _frustrating_.” It was hard to figure out if Dick had been talking to him or rather to himself. “ But I have to admit after a while it became a challenge. I’m glad my efforts have paid off.”

“ **_Talon_ **.” Dick can tell Kaldur's immense patience was starting to run short, however, he decides to continue evading the question. 

“ How are you?” Without warning his head jerks towards Kaldur's direction. Dick looks him directly in the eye and Kaldur's breath catches for a moment. What was happening? The assassin was acting like this is was somehow normal. Like they were friends simply catching up. He sees Dick look at his contraption, preening at his work.” I hear topside has been a bit hectic for you. Left the League, took a leave of absence from your team-”

Kaldur's lips thin slightly into a frown. 

“ You are very well informed for someone who hasn’t been around.” Catching the tone in his captive’s voice Dick looks at him directly again. A Cheshire-like grin begins to form on his mouth. 

“ Careful Leviathan you almost sound like you’ve missed me.” The smirk on Dick’s face only grew when Kaldur'ahm looks away. “ I was away because I needed to be. But now I’m back.”

Dick leans back, placing his hands on Kaldur's knees to balance himself. The overhead sterile lights highlight the divots in his abs, pectorals, and collar bone while the simple motion of breathing acted like a crooked finger. A coquettish invitation to touch. 

“ No one knows where your head is anymore. I’ll admit it’s got even me curious.” Dick tilts his head as if to get a read on him. He sees Kaldur'ahm trying not to look “ Where do your loyalties lie these days, Leviathan? Everyone is just dying to know.” 

With an eyebrow raised, Kaldur's suspicion grows. “ And you want to know first. Why?” 

Pretending to be hurt by the suspicion, Dick makes an indignant noise. 

“ Can’t I just be a concerned citizen?” Dick leaned back forward and got an inch away from Kaldur's face. “You know I have a soft side for bleeding hearts.”

Kaldur'ahm rolls his eyes and pulls his head back until his head hits the mildly plush headrest. 

“ Forgive me, but I’m finding that hard to believe,” Kaldur'ahm said wryly. 

“ Well, then you’re forgiven.” Dick flippantly replied. “But it’s true. You’re the best fun I’ve had in a while and I’m not so sure I want it to end just yet. So there, that’s why I’m curious.”

So it was a game. That’s all he was apparently. It had to be said that he wasn’t surprised necessarily but the confirmation still hurt more than he would like to admit. He had to be rational about this. The Talon had made no promises and he certainly made no confession of any kind. In the end, he was just betrayed by his own imagination and that was all. Without conscious thought, his emotional walls arose once more. He mentally blocked out everything else and spoke how he usually did when confronting an adversary. 

“ My loyalties lie with those who need me. My loyalties lie only with those who are loyal to me.” 

Dick tilted his head to the other side and his eyes narrowed in confusion,“ But...that sounds like nothings things changed-”

“ On the contrary, that means everything has changed. My duty to the vulnerable is my one and top priority. The corrupted politics of the League and the secrets of Atlantis mean nothing to me now. I want nothing to do with them…or you.” 

Kaldur'ahm was mad, Dick quickly surmised. Though he spoke calmly, the frost on his words was very much noticeable. 

Did he push too far? 

Misplayed his hand?

“ You’re talking a big game Leviathan but you seem to forget who exactly holds the upper hand here. We’re not done until _I_ say we’re done.” Dick spoke with much more confidence than what he actually felt. “ You’re _my_ prisoner.” 

“ Then stop flitting around and do whatever it is that you have planned.” Kaldur'ahm looked away dismissively,” I’ve grown bored of your games.” 

_I’ve grown bored of you,_ is what Dick Grayson heard. It echoed in his mind. It hurt like a thousand daggers aimed at his chest. What was that feeling? A silly infatuation never hit this hard. Could it really possibly be that-?

Now Dick was starting to get ticked off, this wasn’t turning out as he had planned at all. He wasn’t someone to be made a fool of! And he certainly wasn’t someone to be talked down to like he was some peon. When people talked of Talons _he_ was the one that popped up in his enemy’s minds.

“ You sanctimonious son of a bitch-” but before he could finish his thought he was quickly interrupted. 

“ You’re still talking Talon, which makes me think that you’re stalling. You have a perfect shot. I’m unable to reach for my weapons and my chest is right under your hand. My heart is ripe for the taking or is it too trampled now for your liking?”

The hero was bored? Then let him entertain him. 

“ You don’t think I’ll do it? That I won’t kill you?” Dick roughly got off Kaldur's lap and went to one of the walls where his weapons were. He took a dagger from it and roughly pointed towards Kaldur's chest. 

“ All toys have their time Leviathan. You’re only useful to me as long as I’m entertained. Your expiration date depends on _my_ goodwill. So why don’t you be a good little guppy and don’t push me.”

Kaldur'ahm felt the frustration in the Talon’s body language and quickly fed off it. Good. It was high time he had gotten some solid punches in. Why hold back on an opponent who didn’t play fair in the first place?

“ Again, you’re stalling. Did you know that Atlantean skin is tougher than a human’s? You are going to have to put a lot of force to get it through. It will take some time to break the skin. You should get started now before I break this fragile trap you’re so proud of.”

“ Shut up!” Dick pressed the dagger harder against Kaldur's chest. The Atlantean was really pissing him off. He had killed people for way less than this in the past. No one _dared_ to taunt him like. _So why was he getting so hot and bothered by the dismissal?_ His chest was beating hard and his breath was labored. 

The air of confidence that was currently surrounding Kaldur'ahm was so intoxicating. Something that he noted in his earlier assessments of Kaldur'ahm was that he wasn’t one to curse nor raise his voice which he had always found interesting. He didn’t need to, it seemed. Watching him with his team and his League subordinates, was so frustrating. He was so lenient with them. He didn’t make them run drills until they dropped. He allowed them to backtalk him...it was ludicrous. Yet he never wavered in his techniques because his subordinates always ended up cowing to him in the end. 

So why was he being so _fucking_ rigid with him? 

And then a light went off in his head. 

Was Kaldur trying to play hard to get? The thought alone sent butterflies through his stomach. The annoyance quickly melted away. A game of tug of war? 

_Cute~_

He’s never seen Kaldur act this way with anyone else. Then again no one has probably come at Kaldur'ahm as he had. The butterflies froze immediately. Imagining someone trying to act as he had towards Kaldur'ahm...the very thought made the butterflies burn away like acid. 

Kaldur had his admirers, of course. Too many, one (he) might say. Bless him though, he was so oblivious. 

So many responsibilities and no time for romance…not even a nightcap.

But the more he thought about it work wasn’t the only thing that was probably keeping the newly lone hero from finding a new...distraction. 

Tula.

The dead friend. The _almost_ lover.

He had become aware of her while going through League records and from the gossip from loose-lipped land and undersea workers. 

Codename: Aquagirl. 

She was..is...important to him and he would respect that. 

The initial jealousy he had of her faded when he realized that she was gone. 

She wasn’t a rival but she did cast a shadow. One had to wonder...how much hold did she still have from beyond the living? 

Kaldur'ahm hadn’t outwardly been with anyone else since the rejection and even with all of his sleuthing he still left guessing of where his head was actually at. 

_Get control back Grayson_ , Dick thought to himself. _Turn this back around. Did you think it would be easy? Kaldur clearly doesn’t want to die; he was simply goading you. He’s finally starting to show how fed up he is. This is what you wanted. All those emotions had been bubbling under the surface for months. They had to come out somehow, now think!_

_“ **My heart is ripe for the taking or is it too trampled now for your liking?”** _

Calming his breathing down. he licked his lips quickly. A smile came back to his face. The hero wore his heart on his sleeve even if he tried to hide it he always gave himself away in some small way or another. It was this small sentence that gave Dick a ray of understanding. 

Breaking it down in his head he quickly surmised that:

Kaldur was hurt=> Why? => He had hope for something=> What?=>The flirting was successful, clearly, but something went array => What was is it?

**_“You’re the best fun I’ve had in a while and I’m not so sure I want it to end just yet.”_ **

Oh… _oh fuck…_ Dick wanted to claw his fingers down his own face. He meant to be playful instead it was hurtful. Kaldur'ahm already didn’t think he was serious about his flirtations (which in retrospect was something that Dick purposefully did in case it all went to hell and Kaldur showed no interest) now he was putting up that wall the assassin had spent months trying to take down.

_Reel him back in Grayson!_

It was only a hunch to go on but if Kaldur wanted a bare-knuckle drag out then he could only oblige him. The shift in body language was quick. A quick laugh breaks the silence. 

“ Oh man, you nearly had me there Guppy. Who knew there was such spark in that stick in the mud personality of yours. Bravo, really.” Dick gracefully pulls the dagger and throws it at the closest wall. The sound of it sinking into the wall echoed throughout the space. He takes a step back, smiling cheerfully. 

“But I think we need a little cool down before one of us says something we’ll regret.” He briskly turned and went deeper into the hidden lair. He opened up a secret compartment and got out something that would definitely whet the hero’s appetite. 

Kaldur didn’t know what was going in Dick’s mind but he had enough of it for a life or two. He wanted out of his restraints and to be able to lick his wounds in peace. He closed his eyes focused on the water molecules in the air if he concentrated hard enough…

Wait, what was that smell?…It smelled like chocolate. A lot of chocolate. Fudge…It smelled like…like…

Olivieri and Johannes’ signature collaboration cake. Both artisans were famous in their own regard. The two chefs came together once a year to make a cake so decadent and dense that they had to raffle off individual slices across the country. The cake itself was a marvel quadruple fudge, three-layer cake. Gold leafing gave it a unique design and in combination with the chocolate flakes, it was perfection.

Kaldur'ahm had never been able to get his hands on a slice, how did…? No, he probably didn’t want to know. 

Dick came walking back with a plate and a fork. 

“ Now I know that _you_ know what this so I won’t insult your intelligence by saying it. But I will say that no, no illegal means were used to get it and there is more where this came from…IF…you agree to speak with me. Civilly.” 

“It isn’t like I have much of choice at the moment oof-” Kaldur'ahm spoke but what interrupted by the sudden lapful of assassin he received.

“ Look…I know that you were serious about part of what you said you were done with the League and Atlantis but I’m hoping to clear some things up about the other part…” Dick cut into the cake and picked some up on the fork. He silently offered the first bite, Kaldur'ahm turned his head away. Dick sighed and stuck the fork into his own mouth.

Dick moaned when the cake hit his tongue, Olivieri and Johannes certainly outdid themselves. The cake was certainly worth the hype. 

“Why should I believe anything you say? You haven’t been sincere in anything since we’ve met.” Kaldur's eyes couldn’t help but follow the fork’s journey from plate to mouth. His own mouth watered against his will. “ In fact, you’ve been unnecessarily cruel-” 

“ I’ve been a tease…maybe even a bit thoughtless,” Dick said plainly. He wouldn’t lie about these things. “ But I’ve never been…insincere.” 

Kaldur closed his eyes. He felt his heart leap and cursed it. Was he really that easy? A bit of hope (Posideon Be, was he actually hopeful?) and he was ready to fall into his enemy's clutches? He felt a hand on his chin gently direct his face forward. And it was as if he was put under a spell. He couldn’t look away though he couldn’t see the Talon’s eyes he could see his own. Yes, hope was very much in them and he wanted to scream.

_The Talon lies...he’s lied since day one. He’s after something...they’re always after something..._

“Look...I’m sorry.” The pleading tone made Kaldur's heart skip a beat. 

“ Y-you’re lying…” Kaldur'ahm couldn’t afford to believe anything else. The world...his world... was on fire and it seemed like every time he managed to put one out another sprung up to take its place. 

Dick without taking his eyes off Kaldur'ahm he slowly reached up and pressed a button on the side of his goggles and R03IN came out again. He placed the plate on the serving sheet and the robot backed away. The tension within the room rose like steam. A powder keg ready to blow. 

Distrust...Hurt...Fear...all of those feelings and more swirled around Kaldur'ahm and for the first time in his life Richard Grayson couldn’t stand to be confronted with those emotions.

Not from Kaldur. 

Dick shook his head, mouth dry. He tries to smile but he wants to throw up. Realizing all too late that he was not at the level of earnest of emotion necessary for such a moment to happen gracefully. Either to anchor Kaldur or himself he placed both of his hands on the side of Kaldur’s face.“ I-I wanted your attention…for the past year I needed your eyes on me. All I’ve done has been to that end.”

He wanted to back away from this. Go back to the shadows where he belonged, but he realized that if he did there would be no next time. No do-over. No “try again later”. 

This was it. 

The realization knocked the air out of his lungs. How could he play coy now? He was out of cards on the edge of a cliff. What options did he have? None...none except…

Fall.

He ran his fingers down slowly from Kaldur's face to his neck. The small intake of breath sent a shiver up Dick’s spine. His gills were sensitive outside of water. 

Dick leaned his head closer, barely missing the skin of Kaldur’s cheek to stop at his ear. Dick’s voice faded to whisper. 

“I needed to know that I was the only bird in your sky…” 

He wrapped his arms around Kaldur's neck. 

“…That your interest wouldn’t wane.” Dick brought himself even tighter. Nothing seemed close enough now. “ No matter what was said about me. You know what I’ve done…what I’m capable of and yet you still came…here…to me.”

Kaldur remained silent, what else could he do? Speaking at all would only confirm what Dick was saying. It would be like surrendering in a way. He had already done that in so many ways but never in word.

He squared his jaw, trying to ignore the fresh scent wafting off the assassin on his lap. 

“You have followed someone else’s orders and regulations for so long, never asking for anything in return. Don’t you think it’s about time to have what you desire?” Dick continued almost dreamily. 

Dick set his head on one of Kaldur's shoulders. He looked and saw the delicate gills and felt the need to kiss and nibble them. How would Kaldur'ahm react? he wondered. He felt almost vampiric. _Just one taste…Just one small taste._

“ All you have to do is say is one little word…and it could be yours.” Dick lifted his head and pressed his forehead to Kaldur's. Their lips were so close to touching. 

“ Before I could make such a decision I would need some sort of assurance. From you. I would need you to bare yourself to me.”

Dick was caught off guard once more but quickly made up for it. He made a scandalized sound but the playful grin on his lips showed his interest.

“ But I’m already damn near naked, and in your lap no less.” Dick purred, clearly talking wasn’t his strongest suit right now, but _this_ he could do. Slowly leaning forward, his voice lowered as long-withheld lust beginning to seep through. “ Though, I suppose I could~” 

“Your eyes Richard.” Kaldur corrected, his face grew mildly warm despite rolling his eyes. Oh, how he wished that it came from annoyance. Anything other than his own traitorous heart and body.” They are the only things you have kept from me. No more.” 

Dick jerked back. His mind going into overdrive. His body was one thing. His identity…For an assassin, there was nothing more private or intimate than that. 

He usually only allowed his marks to see his face, once they were dead of course. Having someone alive know his identity…

Each of them had to throw in their pound of flesh. It was only then they could fully commit.

It all came down to one question: How much did they believe in one another? In this? Whatever it was.

Slowly, Dick raised his hands to the sides of his head. The band of the googles shifted upward. The last glaring barrier between them. 

The metal sound of the goggles hitting the floor didn’t distract them. They gorged themselves on the sight of one another. Like they were meeting again after such a long time.

Dick didn’t realize just how green Kaldur's eyes were. Well, a seafoam green. Almost a fog grey. The coloring of his mask distorted the simplest of details. Without another thought, he brought himself back close to Kaldur. Their foreheads touched but their lips did not. 

A pound of flesh. Dick gave Kaldur the key to his destruction. What he would do with that key, Dick would have no way knowing. 

A string of thoughts kept circling rapidly around the Talon’s mind, the level of adrenaline and desperation swirling inside of him steadily growing. He could feel the ending coming. The grand finale was fast approaching and he wasn’t ready for the curtain fall. 

It was only then that Dick realized just how much he wanted this. 

_Don’t betray me. I’ll have to kill you. Please, don’t betray me…Just let me stay by your side…_

Kaldur'ahm was entranced by the Talon’s eyes. They were golden. He had not been expecting that. For some reason, he had been expecting….another color.

Though, it did not mean they were not beautiful. Almost ethereal. Fitting for a messenger of death. 

In the absence of any type of reaction, Dick was beginning to grow restless. Kaldur had not said a word since he had taken off his mask. 

_I can’t have you if you won’t let me…You can’t have me unless you choose it to be so. Even If you decide to go back to the League, to your team, or to Atlantis they will never accept me…not for their golden boy. They want someone they can control. Someone who will follow their rules. Someone who will be loyal to them. Not you._

All Kaldur had to do was say ‘yes’ and their fates would be sealed. For better or for worse. Dick was so focused on their closeness he almost didn’t catch the word the fell from the hero’s lips. 

“Mine.”

**Author's Note:**

> *sprays some W40 on this doc*
> 
> Oof I'm a bit rusty but hopefully, it wasn't too bad lol. I haven't written in a while and this took forever to edit. Maybe if I can get my brain to work properly I can get another chapter written, but no promises. I'll probably do some drive-by edits tho! 
> 
> Originally posted to Tumblr.


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